


Eugene Fitzherbert Reads Aloud

by lirin



Category: Tangled (2010)
Genre: Gen, Shimai Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-24
Updated: 2011-07-24
Packaged: 2017-10-21 17:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/227628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lirin/pseuds/lirin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two times in Eugene's life where he finds himself reading a book about Flynn Rider.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eugene Fitzherbert Reads Aloud

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "Tangled, 200-500+ words, 'oversleeping'" in the Shimai (Sisters) Challenge, which is on my LiveJournal [here](http://princess-lirin.livejournal.com/2512.html).

Twelve-year-old Eugene Fitzherbert opened his eyes and yawned. The sun was streaming through his window onto the threadbare brown blanket—it was much later than he usually awoke. Normally, the matron woke all the older children in the orphanage at the crack of dawn, but today was Christmas and there were no chores.

If not Matron Simmons, then who or what had wakened him? Eugene rolled over and looked around. A cheer broke out. Half a dozen of the younger children were crowded around his bed, bouncing up and down.

“Read!” Junie said, holding out the treasured and tattered book to Eugene. Their old favorite— _The Tales of Flynnegan Rider_.

Eugene grinned. “Flynnegan Rider? Don’t you want a Christmas story?”

“No! We want Flynn Rider!”

“Flynn! Flynn! Flynn!” the children chanted. It was a wonderful sound. Someday, maybe people would cheer like that for him.

Eugene opened the book. “Okay, Flynn it is. Chapter one. ‘Once upon a time, there was a brave man called Flynnegan Rider. He was voyaging home after a successful trading expedition, when his ship made port at a little island town called Sitia...’”

*****

Thirty-five-year-old Eugene Fitzherbert opened his eyes and yawned, enjoying the last vestiges of his dream from his childhood. Rapunzel was already up and the sun was streaming through the window onto the blue satin quilt—it was much later than he usually awoke. Eugene liked sleeping in, but he was surprised that none of the children had come in insisting that Mommy and Daddy get up so they could open their presents. After all, today was Christmas.

He became aware of smothered giggles and whispers from nearby. Eugene rolled over and looked around. A cheer broke out and all the children (only four, but they made enough noise for a dozen) flung themselves toward him, bouncing on the bed. Rapunzel stood behind them, smiling and holding out a book.

“Read!” little Princess Adelia said, as Rapunzel handed him the book. It was freshly bound and smelled of printer’s ink. The cover said _The Story of Flynn Rider_.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!” the children chorused.

“We made it just for you! It’s a surprise!” said Prince Edric. “It’s about you and Mommy!”

Eugene looked at the book. It had a painting of him and Rapunzel. The subtitle said “How Flynn Rider rescued the lost princess and saved the kingdom.” He looked at his wife. “Did you do this?”

“Well, I helped. It was their idea. I did all the paintings, though.”

“Are you going to read it, Daddy?” Adelia said again.

Eugene opened the book. “Okay, if you insist. Chapter one. ‘Once upon a time, there was a very brave thief called Flynn Rider.’ I wasn’t that brave, really. And you know, I had never stolen something successfully until the Stabbington brothers dragged me along to the castle. And even that crown, I managed to lose. Twice.”

“Daddy...”

“Okay, okay. ‘...a very brave thief called Flynn Rider. One summer day, he was climbing over the rooftops of Corona...’” Adelia curled up in Eugene’s lap and Edric sat next to him, looking over his shoulder. The other children were both snuggled up to Rapunzel. “‘When Flynn Rider picked up the crown, he had no idea who it belonged to or what it would lead to.’ You know what it led to, don’t you? It led to meeting your Mommy and eventually having a family. I never dreamed back then that I’d even have a family of my own, much less one as nice as this one.”

“Daddy...the story...”

“Right. The story. ‘Holding the crown, Flynn Rider was pulled back to the roof. The three thieves fled the city on foot and headed across the bridge...’”

 _And they all lived happily ever after..._


End file.
